10 Top Locations Outside Arnhem You Should Visit
We hate to admit it but there are other places in the area that are nice to visit too! We selected 10 top locations outside Arnhem you should visit.
When you do visit any of these places because of our suggestion, we’d love it if you could send us a photo and of course comment on whether you liked it or not.
Kasteel Doorwerth – 10 Top Locations Outside Arnhem You Should Visit
Castle Doorwerth has been around since 1260 although back in the days this medieval castle was built of wood. The castle that you see now looks pretty much the same since the 1640’s.
It did suffer heavily in 1944 as a result of German destructiveness and Allied shelling during World War II. Directly after WW II a lengthy restoration began that lasted until 1983. By then the castle was back into its 18th-century state and was owned by the “Friends of the Castles of Gelderland” foundation who now maintain the castle as a museum.
TRIVIA:
*In 1969-1970, Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema wrote his famous book Soldaat van Oranje (Soldier of Orange) in the restaurant at Kasteel Doorwerth.
*In 2004, the Castle was investigated for the ghosts allegedly haunting it by the British paranormal television show Most Haunted.
Open from Tuesday / Sunday between 11am and 5pm.
Fee € 9,50 and kids between 4 and 18 € 5,25.
Fee free for ‘Museum Card‘ holders.
Photo’s taken from the janmade_photography Instagram account.
ArnhemLife also makes a stop at Kasteel Doorwerth during the Arnhem Bus Tour. Click on the link for more info on stops on the route and a price indication.
Paleis Het Loo Apeldoorn – 10 Top Locations Outside Arnhem You Should Visit
Paleis Het Loo is located in the heart of the Netherlands, on the outskirts of Apeldoorn. Since 1984, after a thorough restoration, this former royal palace has been open to the public. The furnished rooms and chambers show how the Oranges have lived and worked here for 300 years. The baroque gardens have a symmetrical design, taking the garden of the 17th century as an example, and are unique in the Netherlands. In the course of those 300 years, the palace has had a lot of very diverse residents and the building itself underwent many changes.
On January 8th 2018, museum Paleis Het Loo will be closing the doors to the main building for a renovation and expansion programme which will last for three years. During this period, Paleis Het Loo is ‘open, just not as usual’; the gardens and stables will remain accessible to the public from April to September and annual outdoor events, such as the Princesses Days and September Garden Month, will be held.
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Check this page for more information on the opening hours of Paleis Het Loo.
Entrance fee:
Adults (from 13 years) € 14,50 pp
Adults (from 13 years) online € 14,- pp.
4 to 12 years old € 5,- pp
Family price (2 adults + 4 children 4 – 12 yrs) €35,- pp
Free fee for children up to 3 years old and ‘Museum Card‘ holders
Photo’s taken from the Paleis Het Loo Instagram account.
Content taken from the Paleis Het Loo website.
Apenheul Apeldoorn – 10 Top Locations Outside Arnhem You Should Visit
Also nice to visit when in Apeldoorn is primate park ‘The Apenheul‘!
The monkey zoo is quite unique. Many of the animals roam free in the park and the squirrel monkeys are super curious: before you know it they’ll try to take the hairband out of one’s hair (yes, that’s me on the photo).
The park is open from 30 March to 2 April (Easter), on 7 and 8 April, and from 14 April to 4 November.
Ticket fee:
Kids up to 2 years free entrance.
3 to 12 years old €19,50 pp.
Kids 13 years and older and adults cost €22,50 pp.
Photo of me with a monkey on my head by Adriaan Holsappel.
Museum Het Valkhof Nijmegen – 10 Top Locations Outside Arnhem You Should Visit
Nijmegen claims to be the oldest city in The Netherlands (Maastricht and Voorburg also claim to be the oldest town) so loads of history can be found in and around the city that is located on the Waal river bank.
Museum Het Valkhof houses a major collection of Roman antiquities, old masters, and modern art. It is located at the edge of the historic Valkhof Park, which was once the site of a Roman encampment and, many centuries later, the residence of Charlemagne. Today, you will find an excitingly modern structure for art and archaeology, designed by the renowned architect Ben van Berkel. A grand staircase leads you up to the light and spacious rooms on the exhibition floor. You can choose your own route, meandering past exceptional archaeological finds, seventeenth-century paintings, silverware, and modern paintings. The long glass gallery with its undulating ceiling offers a panoramic view of the grand river landscape beyond. Museum Het Valkhof actively strives to engage the public and regularly organizes new activities based on permanent collections or temporary exhibitions.
Open: Tuesday to Sunday: 11 am – 5 pm Open on Mondays in public holidays (except Summer holidays) Closed on 25 December, 1 January, the King’s Birthday (26 April), and the finish of the Four Days Marches on the third Friday in July. Also closed on Mondays except for January 2, February 20 and 27, Easter, Whitsun, October 15 and 22, December 24 and 31 and 2nd Christmas day. Entrance fee:
Adults (18+ years) € 11,-
Children (6 to 17 years) € 5,50
Family ticket (2 adults,3 children) € 27,50
Students / CJP / Culture Card € 5,50
Groups of 15 or more € 7,50
To 5 years fee free
Museum Card holders fee free
Content is taken from the Museum Het Valkhof website.
Kasteel Doornenburg – 10 Top Locations Outside Arnhem You Should Visit
Doornenburg castle is located in the eastern part of the province of Gelderland, near the village of Doornenburg. It’s one of the biggest and most well-preserved castles in the Netherlands. It consists of the main castle and a front castle which are connected via a small wooden bridge. The castle was originally a fortified manor built in the 9th century. At this stage, it was known as the Villa Dorenburc. It wasn’t until the 13th century that it was converted into a proper castle. Gradually, through the centuries, the castle was expanded further into its current form. The front castle was built in the 15th century. It contains sleeping quarters, a chapel and a farm, the latter being quite a unique feature for a Dutch castle.
Castle Doornenburg was occupied until the 19th century. After that, it fell into disrepair and became a ruin. In 1936 the Stichting tot Behoud van den Doornenburg (literally: Foundation for Preservation of the Doornenburg) was created and the castle was restored between 1937 and 1941. Unfortunately, by the end of the Second World War, it was almost completely destroyed. The Germans were thought to have blown it up, but it had actually been hit by a British bombardment in March 1945. The castle was completely rebuilt between 1947 and 1968.
TRIVIA
*In 1968 this castle, amongst others, was used as a set for the television series Floris starring a young Rutger Hauer.
The main castle is free to enter but other areas in the castle are only accessible with a tour guide. The tours are on set dates and times, the timetable can be found here.
A tour through the castle for children costs €4 (children up to 4 y/o fee free).
Adults pay €9.
The tour through the Doornenburg Castle lasts between 75 and 90 minutes.
ArnhemLife also makes a stop at Kasteel Doornenburg during the Arnhem Bus Tour. Click on the link for more info on stops on the route and a price indication.
Old Church in Oosterbeek – 10 Top Locations Outside Arnhem You Should Visit
The Oosterbeek Church was built here as early as the 10th century. This makes it one of the oldest existing church buildings in the Netherlands.
The little Church was built with material that may have come from Roman fortifications on the other side of the Rhine, in Meinerswijk and Driel. Another striking feature is the Roman gate at the entrance, with a decorated pediment above the door. The church was originally a hall church and was not extended until the 14th century when it acquired a tower.
In September 1944, the church was one of the last bastions for the allied forces before they withdrew across the Rhine. 250 wounded soldiers lay in the old rectory next to the church. Ms Kate Ter Horst tried to care for them as long as possible. Her British patients gave her the affectionate nickname of ‘the Angel of Arnhem’ Market Garden was a failure. Arnhem was a bridge too far. The church in Oosterbeek was left in utter ruin. Following a thorough restoration, it was brought back into use in 1949, and British and Polish war veterans and their families have been regular visitors ever since.
Walking to (or from) Arnhem you’ll come across the old Church in Oosterbeek and it makes for a beautiful location to do some extra sightseeing. The track is about 15km long. Railway station Oosterbeek is the start and Central Station Arnhem the end location.
Fee free to visit.
ArnhemLife also makes a stop at the Oosterbeek Church during the Arnhem Bus Tour. Click on the link for more info on stops on the route and a price indication.
National Park De Hoge Veluwe – 10 Top Locations Outside Arnhem You Should Visit
National Park De Hoge Veluwe (The Hoge Veluwe National Park) is a Dutch national park in the province of Gelderland near the cities of Ede, Wageningen, Arnhem and Apeldoorn. It is approximately 55 square kilometres in area, consisting of heathlands, sand dunes, and woodlands. It is situated in the Veluwe, the area of the largest terminal moraine in the Netherlands. Most of the landscape of the park and the Veluwe was created during the last Ice Age. The alternating sand dune areas and heathlands may have been caused by human utilization of the surrounding lands. The park forms one of the largest continuous nature reserves in the Netherlands. Information is taken from Wikipedia.
The easiest way to get around in the park is by bike. They are provided at several locations and free to use.
There is a chance you’ll see some wildlife while peddling through the park. It’s home to approximately 200 red deer, 150 roe deer, 50 wild boars, 200 mouflons.
Also a ‘must visit’ while at the park are the Kröller Müller museum (see next segment), Jachthuis Sint HubertusFind the different opening hours to The Hoge Veluwe National Park, restaurant and other facilities here.
The ticket prices for The Hoge Veluwe National Park can be found here.
ArnhemLife also offers a one-day bus tour to The Hoge Veluwe National Park. Click on the link for more info on stops on the route and a price indication.
Fort Pannerden Doornenburg – 10 Top Locations Outside Arnhem You Should Visit
The fort was constructed between 1869 and 1871 to serve as part of the New Dutch Waterline. Originally built completely out of brick and mortar, with just one main battery guarding the Rhine, it was upgraded significantly during 1885-1895. The main battery was completely rebuilt, with armour and concrete, while two additional armoured batteries were added and the roof of the fort was reinforced with concrete. The fort had strategic significance in that it guarded the Pannerden Canal, which supplied the water for the inundations of the New Dutch Waterline and could potentially be used as a route towards the main line of defence, but the fort saw little active service. In World War I the Netherlands remained neutral, although the fort was manned as part of a general mobilisation. In World War II on May 10, 1940, during the German invasion of the Netherlands, the fort was first bypassed and then surrounded. On May 11, cut off from the rest of the Dutch army, the commander of the fort surrendered under threat of artillery bombardment and air attack. Most of the fort was subsequently stripped of all useful materials and after 1945 the building fell into disuse.
In 2000 the Fort was squatted. The squatters refused to leave and they were evicted in a two-day operation by police, riot police and army forces beginning November 7, 2006. Twenty-five squatters were removed from inside the building.
In 2006, the fort was re-squatted by a group of between eighty and one hundred squatters. After first threatening to evict the fort again despite the huge costs involved, the council signed a contract in with the squatters. The squatters agreed not to live there, but four out of the group were now responsible for the upkeep of the building. They left when work to restore the fort began in 2009.
Now Fort Pannerden is a pretty active place again. It opened to the public in 2016 and now is an amazing place to visit with loads of activities for kids and adults! There’s an escape room, story telling, soldier museum, a huge canon and a giftshop. Make sure to place Fort Pannerden on your ‘places to visit’ list!
Take a look at this page for the opening hours for Fort Pannerden.
Ticket fee:
Fee free until 3 years old
4-11 years €8,50
12 jand up €12,00
Familyticket (2 adults, 2 kids till 11 years old): €36,50
65+ €10,00
Extra fee for ‘Elements’ €8,00
Content taken from Wikipedia and the Fort Pannerden website.
National Park Veluwezoom // Posbank – 10 Top Locations Outside Arnhem You Should Visit
Veluwezoom National Park is a national park of the Netherlands located in the province of Gelderland. This park is the oldest national park in the Netherlands. It is an area of 50 square kilometres at the southeastern edge of the Veluwe, a complex of terminal push moraines from the Saalian glaciation. It has a pronounced relief by Dutch standards, with the highest point in the park at 110 meters above sea level. It is a private national park, owned by Vereniging Natuurmonumenten, the largest nature conservation organisation in the Netherlands.
The landscape of the park consists of forests and heathland, which is kept open by grazing of Highland cattle, and a small sand drift, which is kept open by human maintenance. The native fauna is represented by red deer, wild boar, badger and the regionally rare pine marten (content taken from Wikipedia).
Pick one of the walking trails at the Veluwezoom National Park and start exploring. Is hiking not your thing? Then take a (mountain) bike or go by a horse!
On the website, you’ll find many organised activities for you to join.
Radio Kootwijk – 10 Top Locations Outside Arnhem You Should Visit
Radio Kootwijk is a small town near Apeldoorn, with approximately 120 inhabitants (in 2006). It is situated in a heather-and forest-rich territory in the Veluwe region, east of the sandhills of the Kootwijkerzand and the town of Kootwijk.
The housing accommodations of Radio Kootwijk arose as a result of the building of a shortwave transmitter site with the same name, starting in 1918. The transmitters played an important role in the 20th century as a communication facility between the Netherlands and its then colony of Dutch East Indies. In 1923 Dutch PTT started trans-oceanic telegraphy using a longwave transmitter (a 400KW high-frequency alternator) from the German Telefunken company under the callsign PCG, in the 24 kHz and 48 kHz. By 1925 the longwave transmitter was changed by a shortwave tube based, an electronic transmitter which had a much better performance due to the better propagation of shortwaves. With this new technology, in 1928 a radio-telephonic connection was established. At the end of World War II, the German occupying forces blew up the transmitter. Afterwards, some of the radio towers were rebuilt.
Due to the development of new technologies like satellite communication, Radio Kootwijk lost its position as the main overseas wireless connection point of the Netherlands. In 1980, the last transmission mast was blown up. In 2004 the park lost its last transmitter functions and was transferred from the KPN company (successor to PTT) to the State Forestry Commission, which started attracting new buyers. The main building of the former transmitter park, designed by Dutch architect Julius Maria Luthmann and named ‘Building A’, ‘The Cathedral’ or sometimes ‘The Sphynx’, was officially appointed as a monument. It is used as venue and scenery for several cultural events and productions, including the American film Mindhunters in 2004 (content taken from Wikipedia).
It is now possible to visit this unique building on set dates and times. A look inside costs €17,50. Take a look at the Radio Kootwijk website for more information.
ArnhemLife also offers a one-day bus tour to Radio Kootwijk. Click on the link for more info on stops on the route and a price indication.
Start Exploring Gelderland – 10 Top Locations Outside Arnhem You Should Visit
This is just a small selection of all the places in Gelderland (one of the 12 Dutch provinces) you can explore. We do understand tourists and expats will visit Amsterdam, and you should! But there is more to the Netherlands then just Amsterdam with its many tourists, weed shops and stag parties.
We hope you’ll pay us (Gelderland // Arnhem) a visit too!
Do follow ArnhemLife, we provide information for tourists, expats and locals about Arnhem and often give away FREE tickets to local events. We also offer guided city tours in Arnhem and organize corporate events.
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